The historical records relate
that Fatima al-Zahra (a.s.), the daughter of the Holy Prophet
(s.w.), was angry with the two shaykhs (i.e. Abu Bakr and `Umar)
until she died. For this very reason she requested her husband,
Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), to bury her in secret, permitting only
a few of the very close companions of the Holy Prophet (s.w.)
such as Salman al-Farsi and Abu Tharr to know of her barial. She
also asked Imam Ali to conceal her grave, as a
form of protest.
The reasons for this
protestation can be explained as follows:
1- `Umar's and his followers attacked the house of Imam Ali
(a.s.) and set it on fire. This was done in order to force Imam
Ali and his adherents to give allegiance to Abu Bakr.
2- Abu Bakr's and `Umar's refusal to give back to Fatima her
inheritance (from her father).
3- Also because she considered Ali as the legal successor and
vicegerent of the Holy Prophet (s.w.). Historians have narrated
that, when `Umar ibn al-Khattab brought some wood in order to
set Imam Ali's (a.s.) house on fire, he was
told that Fatima, the daughter of the Holy Prophet (s.w.), is
inside the house too! He replied: LET IT BE!!! Then he kindled
the fire and began to set fire to the house of the daughter of
the Holy Prophet! "O son of Khattab! are you really going to set
our house on fire?" Fatima (a.s.) asked. `Umar replied, "Sure!
Unless you agree on what the whole ummah had agreed upon." The
daughter of the Holy Prophet (s.w.) said, "I do not remember
people that have done worse than yours... You have left the Holy
Prophet's body lying among us, while, at the same time, you were
busy in
electing a caliph among yourselves, without consulting us or
asking our opinion. You have plainly misappropriated our right."
Then `Umar and Muhajirin proceeded in burning the house!
Al-Ya`qoobi, in his book, had recorded the following: "There
were a bunch of people who attacked the house. They broke Ali's
sword, and pulled out Ali with all the force they could muster
and drove him toward AbuBakr. Then Fatima cried `O Father! O the
Apostle of Allah! see what we are facing because of the son of
Ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Abi Quhafah (Abu Bakr) after your
demise.' A warm argumentation occurred between Ali and those who
were attending the meeting in the presence of AbuBakr, `Umar,
and Abu `Ubaydah. Ali tried to explain to the people his right
to be the caliphate and his deserving of this position, but that
didn't please `Umar who then began to threaten Ali if the latter
refused to give allegiance to Abu Bakr, and said to Ali: "You
have no choice but to give allegiance!" "And what if I refused
to give allegiance?" Ali asked. `Umar replied roughly, "I swear
by Allah, the only god, that we shall behead you immediately!"
Ali said, "Then you are going to kill whom he is the servant of
Allah and the brother of the Apostle of Allah?" `Umar angrily
answered, "It is right that you are the servant of Allah, but it
is not true that you are the brother of the Apostle of Allah."
After this dialogue, Imam Ali then left the meeting and walked
toward the tomb of the Holy Prophet (s.w.).
There, he began to cry and speak to the tomb saying, "Son of my
mother! surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh
slain me!" Regarding the issue that Abu Bakr and `Umar had
refused to give back to Fatima her inheritance, one can refer to
various historical sources and find more details. When Fatima
(a.s.) was ill for the last time before her demise, Abu Bakr and
`Umar visited her. She seized the opportunity and spoke to them,
"shall inform you a hadith of the Holy Prophet, but, shall you
be honest enough and tell me whether you have heard it from
the Holy Prophet or not?" "Sure we will!" They both answered.
Then Fatima (a.s.) said, "I administer an oath to you to say the
truth. Didn't you hear the Holy Prophet (s.w.) say that,
"Fatima's satisfaction is my satisfaction, and if she becomes
angry I will become angry too. He who seek Fatima's love, is as
one who seeks my love; and he who satisfies Fatima, it is as if
he has satisfied me. Who so ever makes Fatima angry shall make
me angry too." Abu Bakr and `Umar said, "For sure we have heard
this hadith from the Apostle of Allah." "Then I bear witness
that you two
have made me angry and did not satisfied me. When I meet the
Prophet (s.w.), I shall complain to him against both of you."
Fatima (a.s.) continued. Here, AbuBakr said, "I seek refuge in
Allah against His anger and your anger, Fatima!" Then he began
to cry until his soul was about to come out of his body. Fatima
(a.s.) continued, saying, "By Allah I shall curse you in every
prayer I may perform!" Here, our question is: What is your
opinion in this regard, to the
manner of the two Shaykhs toward the Household of the Holy
Prophet (s.w.)?Wasn't it more humane for Abu Bakr and `Umar to
satisfy the Household of the Holy Prophet (s.w.), especially
during and after loosing their (the Household's) Great Father,
the Holy Prophet (s.w.)? Would it not have been more honorable
if Abu Bakr and `Umar tried to solve the suspended issues
between them and Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) and at the same
time they could have keep the respect of the Holy Prophet (s.w.)
and guarded the benefit of the Islamic Ummah?
